Indians prospect Ruiz suspended 80 games for failing drug test

Tribe Related

Cleveland Indians prospect Brian Ruiz, former Lincoln West star, suspended for 80 games | cleveland.com - Brian Ruiz, former Senate MVP for Lutheran West, suspended for 80 games for positive test for performance enhancing drugs.

Fox SportsTime Ohio changes Cleveland Indians lineup: Jason Stanford, Katie Witham out | cleveland.com - Hoynsie is catching up to the news that's been out a couple weeks. He does add, however, that Witham opted out of her contract.

Brad Grant, Cleveland Indians march toward another June draft; own 17th overall pick | cleveland.com
The long haul toward the June draft begins this weekend when four-year colleges start playing baseball. The Indians will have four of the first 100 picks in the draft.

Tigers, beware: Indians rank 4th in MLB, ESPN writer says - Free Press writer incredulous - "But still ... fourth? Only behind the Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals? That means he also considers the Indians the best team in the entire American League!"

Player Profile: Carlos Carrasco a high-value pick in fantasy leagues - Fantasy - SI.com - Cleveland Indians' pitcher Carlos Carrasco saw a short burst of success late last season, and those changes should carry over into 2015. Better than your average fantasy profile, complete with PitchFX data.

Walters recounts how he hit home run with proposal in '14 | indians.com - Your Valentine's Day Moment.

The 10 most compelling players in the AL Central. | SportsonEarth.com : Will Leitch Article - The AL Central, honestly, hasn't looked this competitive in years.

Indians prospects line up to make jump to Majors | indians.com - Jordan Bastian profiles the top level of Cleveland prospects.

Around the Horn

Alison Gordon, baseball-writing pioneer, dies at 72 | FOX Sports - Alison Gordon, the first female member of the Baseball Writers Association of America, died Thursday. She was 72. Rob Neyer writes this remembrance.

McCutchen: Little Leaguers can be unfairly left behind | MLB.com - "Baseball used to be the sport where all you needed was a stick and a ball," McCutchen wrote. "It used to be a way out for poor kids. Now it's a sport that increasingly freezes out kids whose parents don't have the income to finance the travel baseball circuit."

The Worst Transactions of the 2015 Off-Season | FanGraphs Baseball - The Indians are not on this list.

Rankings baseball's top 10 defenses for 2015. | SportsonEarth.com : Anthony Castrovince Article - The Indians are not on this list, either.

Brian Kenny's Top 10 players vs. The Shredder's. | SportsonEarth.com : Brian Kenny Article - MLB Network's Top 10 Right Now has been going on for four years, and it includes the help of "The Shredder," a formula that combines offense and defensive metrics. With the lists all finalized, Kenny reconsiders his picks as compared to The Shredder's.

Frame Jobs " Grantland.com - Ben Lindbergh - What we can learn about manipulating the strike zone from all-world receiver Brad Ausmus, an elite catching prospect, and Dennis Eckersley, the beneficiary of, ahem, a widened target

Adam Ottavino credits FanGraphs for change in approach | HardballTalk - Adam Ottavino is one of a growing number of pitchers who rely on Sabermetric analysis sites like FanGraphs to make adjustments.

Marty Brennaman does not think Joey Votto should be trying to lead the league in on-base percentage | HardballTalk - Marty Brennaman is a cranky old man who pines for the Big Red Machine days and wants all those young whippersnappers to get off his lawn. Meanwhile, he continues to refuse to admit that the game has passed him by.

Josh Donaldson loses arbitration case to the Blue Jays | HardballTalk - Really, Toronto? Way to make a great first impression with your new star.

Royals, Greg Holland avoid arbitration for $8.25 million | HardballTalk - Your daily reminder that closers are expensive.

And Finally

Want a Jayson Werth Chia Pet? | HardballTalk - Mark August 5 down on your calendars, as that's when the Nationals plan to give away a Jayson Werth Chia Pet.